portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Today’s haul of pictures . . . .


  Heroes, Heroines, Super Stars n Swingin’ guitars

Billy Jean and Hank - ain’t she purty? And remember folks, Hank started the 29* club - speed kills!


So I’ll add another picture in tribute to Jeremiah who dropped by to comment . . . . . . great singers of the beginnings of ‘pop’!
Woody Guthrie & Lilly May Ledford, New York City. 





a pensive Nick Drake . . . how we often think of him

although he did smile sometimes . . . . . . happier days



Johnny Cash with a Martin guitar (with F holes no less - anybody any idea how much that would be worth now?! £4,000? More? $24,000? who knows - I’ll try n find out!)

Stephen with some of his collection whilst touring . . . . . phew!




Husband and Wife team, Patti Smith and Fred ’Sonic’ Smith  - I should start a series on couples or husbands and wives?!


Great shot of our Susan Tedeschi - look at those hands! Woman can PLAY!

So who do you reckon this is?
well I’ll tell you! The guitar connection is key here and of course it is an early shot of Les Paul! However did you know he is also known for being credited with the invention of the harmonica frame so you could play it hands free!? Know otherwise? Could be apocryphal but could be a complete myth too. Me, I choose to believe it!



* as dear pal Jeremiah ( he was a bullfrog you know?) rightly points out Hank Williams didn’t start the 27 club died at 29 and that ‘honour’ (sic?) goes to Robert Johnson long before anyone else! 

Here Robert Johnson with what we think is his beloved Kalamazoo (I have one for that reason!) the poor man’s Gibson, during the recession in America and Gibson rebranded a budget machine with the same woods and simpler structure and innards, mine is dated 1936! which would make it amongst the first ever made like his as he recorded with it that year!  I love it, have I said ?! Rings like a bell!


My Kalamazoo KG11 His was a KG14 - its in the frets! 1936 I am told - my pride and joy


2 comments:

Jeremiah said...

Just a comment, Andy, but I believe The First member of the "27 Club" was Delta Blues singer & guitarist Robert Johnson. He died in 1938. Hank Sr. didn't die until 1953 and he was 29 years old at the time.

Yer Pal,

jeremiah

Andy Swapp said...

Fabulous stuff! Thanks Jeremiah! Always fun to have your comments and thanks for dropping by . . . . memory is a funny thing and thought as I wrote it someone would correct me if I was wrong (which I usually am!)
Thanks buddy, always welcome!